Although it is four months away, some candidates are already working pretty hard to get their presidential election campaigns up and running.
Mika Aaltola, Pekka Haavisto, Olli Rehn, Paavo Väyrynen, Saara Huhtasaari, Ano Turtiainen, Jouni Kuitunen and Jaana Kavonius are all hoping to run backed by voter associations of at least 20,000 people.
Incumbent president Sauli Niinistö set this trend in 2018 when he collected 156,000 signatures to launch his re-election campaign, rising above party politics and presenting himself as head of a citizens' movement.
This time round Helsingin Sanomat says the eight candidates remain tight-lipped about the number of supporters they have already signed up, and there could be good tactical reasons for that.
Of the candidates HS asked, both Aaltola and Rehn said they had gathered a 'five figure' supporter base. Haavisto said he may be nearing the 20,000 threshold.
As the supporter cards have to be delivered to the Helsinki elections board for checking, and there's no electronic way to sign up, the campaigns have great discretion about when they announce their campaign is official, and how long they continue to gather supporters.
Collecting signatures is a low-threshold way to campaign and to build volunteer networks — and gives visibility while party-backed candidates are still planning their campaigns.
So HS reports researcher Hanna Wass as saying that it would pay candidates to continue collecting names long after they have gathered the required 20,000. As voters can only sign up to back one voter association candidate, they are also effectively denying their rivals' potential supporters.
Government tax plans
Ilta-Sanomat has taken a look at the government's taxation plans, and found that they will benefit high-earners — but not those with larger than normal pensions.
The so-called solidarity tax adds two percentage points to the tax rate for anyone making more than 85,000 euros per year. The government programme aims to lift the threshold for that tax to 150,000 euros, saving high income wage-earners thousands of euros.
Pensioners who get more than 47,000 euros, on the other hand, pay an additional tax of 5.85 percent. That will remain unchanged.
IS asked the leaders of the two main parties why that is, and their answers revealed a difference in views on the matter.
National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo said that removing the tax on higher pensions was a long-term goal of his party, but it had not been possible to agree that in the coalition negotiations.
Finance Minister and Finns Party leader Riikka Purra, meanwhile, said that the government programme aimed to reduce the state budget deficit and any funds for pensioners were to be used on helping those on smaller incomes.
Pohjanpalo staying in Venice
Iltalehti has happy news from Joel Pohjanpalo, the Finnish footballer banging in goals for fun at Venezia in Italy's Serie B.
He's just signed a contract extension that will keep him in Venice, which is known as the Queen of the Adriatic, until 2027.
In the summer Pohjanpalo turned down several transfers to remain at Venezia has become renowned for stylish kits that are sought-after among football hipsters and others looking to cut a dash when out and about.
The bewhiskered Pohjanpalo announced his contract extension on Instagram, alongside an image of him in a Venezia shirt with the city in the background and looking every inch the poster child for la dolce vita.